innovate25: Full Schedule

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8:40am CST

Passports, Playlists and Passions... Personalized Learning Projects

Tuesday February 25, 2025 8:40am - 9:05am CST

Learn: Explore three innovative personalized learning projects designed to foster connection and belonging within your classroom community. Discover the importance of these projects in promoting empathy and engagement among students.

Engage: Review templates developed from real classroom experiences, including creation tools and grading rubrics. "Stop and jot" your ideas and then collaborate with peers from similar grade levels or subject areas (e.g., high school social studies, high school ELA, or third grade) to brainstorm how to adapt these projects for your own classrooms.

Apply: Customize the provided templates to suit your specific content area and identify how these projects can integrate into your curriculum, ultimately creating a classroom environment that nurtures belonging and empathy while actively engaging students in meaningful learning experiences.

Speakers

Lori Rejent

Unified Arts Curriculum Coordinator, Music Specialist, Brentwood School District

Tuesday February 25, 2025 8:40am - 9:05am CST
Salon 2 Marriott St. Louis Airport

Design Belonging

Audience All K-12 Educators, Classroom Teachers, Library Media Specialists
Session Type Spark
School / Company Brentwood Schools
Resource Page https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GBmj1ahrhp5u3_PvQqsGr_Rwv3G5XFIkhQ8VDC7ZsNo/edit?gid=0#gid=0

8:40am CST

Maker Strategies to Energize Instruction

Tuesday February 25, 2025 8:40am - 9:25am CST

Salon A

Learn: Through practical examples, learn pragmatic strategies and powerful principles that will empower you to shift your students from technology consumers to technology creators – all in the context of a standards-based curriculum.

Engage: Create a project that you can take with you. Brainstorm strategies for upgrading a content topic by incorporating a maker project.

Apply: Gain concrete activity suggestions that you can modify to your context and broader inspiration that you can use to make projects of your own.

Exhibitors

Challenger Learning Center - St. Louis

Erin Tyree

The Challenger Learning Center-St. Louis’ mission is to inspire the future generation of innovators through immersive STEM experiences. We accomplish this through simulated space missions in our realistic spacecraft environment, science and engineering explorations delivered across... Read More →

Tuesday February 25, 2025 8:40am - 9:25am CST
Salon A Marriott St. Louis Airport

Design

8:40am CST

Unpacking the F.R.E.S.H. Approach to Culturally-Responsive, Standards-Based Instruction

Tuesday February 25, 2025 8:40am - 9:30am CST

Salon 4

Learn: Take a deep dive into the principles behind culturally responsive, standards-based (CRSB) instruction and how to integrate into the F.R.E.S.H. framework. Explore the “why” and “what” of CRSB instruction and understand its crucial role in fostering student success in diverse classrooms.

Engage: Through collaborative exercises and targeted discussions, analyze real-world scenarios that illustrate the impact of culturally responsive strategies. Engage in dialogue with peers, share insights and experiences related to implementing CRSB instruction enhancing your understanding of its practical applications.

Apply: Gain actionable ideas for integrating culturally responsive elements into your lesson planning. With guided discussions and collaborative activities, develop a clear understanding of how to identify and apply strategies that align with academic standards, making learning more meaningful for students from all backgrounds.

Speakers

Stephanie Boyce

Chief Educational Officer, The FRESH Classroom

Dr. Stephanie R. Boyce is an Edupreneur driven by her passion to reshape the educational landscape by making culturally responsive teaching a way of life.For the last decade, Boyce has focused her studies and work on matters of racial justice and equity for historically marginalized... Read More →

Tuesday February 25, 2025 8:40am - 9:30am CST
Salon 4 Marriott St. Louis Airport

Belonging Design Culture

Session Type Ignite

8:40am CST

Science Education is Evolving

Tuesday February 25, 2025 8:40am - 9:30am CST

Salon C

Learn: Examine how recent shifts in science education practices are changing teachers' approach to their instruction. Learn from science teaching experts on how new initiatives are building on what we already know about best practice and the impact of these initiatives.

Engage: Connect with the conversation through questions and sharing personal comments using the chat feature. Dig deeper into the topics by using the Q&A segment to ask about topics such as 3-Dimensional teaching, Sense-Making and using science phenomena.

Apply: Discover an updated view on modern science teaching practices. Gain an informed understanding of how science education will continue to evolve in the next several years and build new perspectives on how to think about science ed and where to find resources that support the work.

Speakers

Adam Scimone

Tuesday February 25, 2025 8:40am - 9:30am CST
Salon C Marriott St. Louis Airport

Design

Audience All K-12 Educators, Classroom Teachers, Curriculum Coordinators, Instructional Coaches, Technology Directors
Session Type Panel
School / Company EducationPlus

8:40am CST

Task Talk

Tuesday February 25, 2025 8:40am - 9:30am CST

Salon 1

Learn: Discover quick and effective strategies for designing tasks that boost student engagement. Explore practical approaches that can be applied across various subject areas.

Engage: Take part in a hands-on, station rotation discovery model. This interactive setup will guide participants in creating a high-quality task tailored to their subject area and instructional goals.

Apply: Gain ready-to-use sample tasks that can be implemented immediately in the classroom, ensuring an impactful takeaway for engaging students.

Speakers

Robyn Haug

Director of Assessment and Professional Learning, School District of Clayton

Robyn Haug is a veteran classroom teacher with over twenty years of experience in K-12 classrooms. After stepping out of the classroom for four years to work as a secondary instructional coach on aligning grading and professional learning practices across a building and a district... Read More →

Task Talk Innovate 25.pptx pdf

Tuesday February 25, 2025 8:40am - 9:30am CST
Salon 1 Marriott St. Louis Airport

Design

Audience All K-12 Educators
Session Type Ignite
School / Company Clayton School District

10:10am CST

Adapting Innovations to All Learners

Tuesday February 25, 2025 10:10am - 10:35am CST

Salon 3

Learn: Discover strategies for engaging SPED students through innovative methods and technology. Explore approaches to making lessons accessible and engaging for all learners, focusing on inclusivity and adaptability.

Engage: Participate in hands-on adaptive innovation lessons that demonstrate how to effectively engage diverse learners. Through these interactive examples, you’ll gain insight into techniques that make technology and innovation accessible to SPED students.

Apply: Gain strategies to transform your own lessons for SPED students, enabling you to integrate innovative tools and approaches that meet the needs of all learners in your classroom.

Speakers

Melissa Tackett

Innovations Technology Teacher, Orchard Farm

I teach curious K-4 STEM leaders in Orchard Farm School District in a special area class called Innovations. My class fosters creative thinking, utilizes technology, and helps students discover their potential to question, test, and design. I am passionate about inclusive STEM opportunities... Read More →

Tuesday February 25, 2025 10:10am - 10:35am CST
Salon 3 Marriott St. Louis Airport

Design Belonging

Audience All K-12 Educators
Session Type Spark
School / Company Orchard Farm

10:10am CST

Feeding the Learning Brain

Tuesday February 25, 2025 10:10am - 11:00am CST

Salon 2

Learn: Discover how teachers can leverage their unique position to positively influence students' brain development. This session will explore research in mind, brain, and education, providing practical strategies to enhance learning, memory, critical thinking, and confidence in the classroom.

Engage: Participants will be actively involved through movement, curiosity, humor, play, music, and interactive discussions, making the learning experience enjoyable and memorable.

Apply: Walk away with a wealth of immediately applicable, low-cost strategies to nurture every student's brain and engage their interest daily. Understanding how the brain learns will transform your teaching practice and enrich your own learning experience as well.

Speakers

Denise Ford

Gifted Teacher, Kirkwood School District

Passionate about Gifted Education, innovation, creativity, and learning.

Tuesday February 25, 2025 10:10am - 11:00am CST
Salon 2 Marriott St. Louis Airport

Design Wellness

Audience All K-12 Educators
Session Type Ignite
School / Company Kirkwood School District

10:10am CST

Best Practices for Integrating and Enhancing Creativity in the Classroom

Tuesday February 25, 2025 10:10am - 11:00am CST

Salon B

Learn: Understand why creativity is essential for problem-solving, analytical thinking and collaboration in today’s classrooms. Explore the challenges of defining and fostering creativity as part of the learning process.

Engage: Join an interactive discussion on best practices for integrating creativity into your school’s curriculum. Share ideas and examples with peers on how iPad can support innovative teaching and learning strategies.

Apply: Gain practical tips for embedding creativity into lessons across various subject areas. Use iPad tools to empower students to think critically, collaborate effectively and express their ideas in unique ways.

Speakers

Apple

Tuesday February 25, 2025 10:10am - 11:00am CST
Salon B Marriott St. Louis Airport

Integration Design

Session Type Ignite
School / Company Apple

11:10am CST

Connecting Your Content with Design Thinking

Tuesday February 25, 2025 11:10am - 11:35am CST

Salon 3

Learn: Explore the five stages of design thinking—Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test—to understand how they can be applied to encourage creativity, collaboration and problem-solving in K-12 education. Gain insights into how design thinking connects with your content to create deeper, more engaging learning experiences.

Engage: Participate in interactive discussions and activities that model the design thinking process. Collaborate with peers to brainstorm ways to incorporate design thinking into your classroom, while sharing ideas and challenges with fellow educators.

Apply: Develop a plan to integrate design thinking into your curriculum. Gain actionable strategies, resources, and a clear vision to make this innovative process a cornerstone of your teaching practice.

Speakers

Kara Sanders

My name is Kara Sanders and I am the makerspace teacher at Gotsch Intermediate School in the Affton School District. I started with a simple classroom makerspace in my 5th grade classroom. Fast forward a few years and I am the makerspace teacher for the building. I have been in this... Read More →

Tuesday February 25, 2025 11:10am - 11:35am CST
Salon 3 Marriott St. Louis Airport

Design

Audience Classroom Teachers, Specialist / Encore
Session Type Spark

11:10am CST

Bringing F.R.E.S.H. to Life – Designing Culturally-Responsive, Standards-Based Lessons

Tuesday February 25, 2025 11:10am - 12:00pm CST

Salon 4

Learn: Explore how to apply the F.R.E.S.H. approach in real classroom scenarios. Discover methods to develop Fun, Relevant, Engaging, Standards-Based and Higher Order lessons that elevate student learning and engagement.

Engage: Participate in interactive exercises designed to craft your own F.R.E.S.H. activities while collaborating with peers. By sharing examples from the field and engaging in group discussions, gain valuable insights into creating impactful lesson plans that resonate with diverse learners.

Apply: Gain a designed personalized F.R.E.S.H. activity tailored to your curriculum in addition to the skills to integrate the F.R.E.S.H. principles to implement inclusive and engaging lessons in your classroom enhancing the educational experience for all students.

Speakers

Stephanie Boyce

Chief Educational Officer, The FRESH Classroom

Tuesday February 25, 2025 11:10am - 12:00pm CST
Salon 4 Marriott St. Louis Airport

Culture Belonging Design

Session Type Ignite

11:10am CST

Reviving Literacy: Innovative Strategies for Elementary Student’s Reading & Writing Success

Tuesday February 25, 2025 11:10am - 12:00pm CST

Salon A

Learn: Discover how to incorporate students' personal vocabulary and experiences into literacy instruction, making the learning more meaningful and relevant. Identify various literary structures found across curriculums and learn how to use these structures to enhance students' reading and writing skills. Explore how dictation technology can be leveraged to support struggling readers and writers in capturing their thoughts and ideas.

Engage: Participate in interactive activities that model classroom practices and foster a positive learning environment. Create your own literary examples and experiment with dictation technology on your own device to understand its application for students.

Apply: Gain practical examples of literary structures and techniques for integrating students' personal language into literacy instruction. Reflect on how to use dictation technology to support struggling students and leave with strategies that can be transferred directly into your teaching practice.

Speakers

Maggie Bunten

Tuesday February 25, 2025 11:10am - 12:00pm CST
Salon A Marriott St. Louis Airport

Design Technology

Session Type Ignite
School / Company eMINTS

11:10am CST

Grow stamina and creativity using the design process/makerspace

Tuesday February 25, 2025 11:10am - 12:35pm CST

Salon 3

Learn: Discover the five stages of the design thinking process and their relevance to fostering creativity, problem-solving and collaboration in K-12 education. Explore real-world examples of how design thinking can transform learning experiences and inspire student engagement across various subjects and grade levels.

Engage: Participate in hands-on activities that will guide you through the design thinking process, from identifying problems to brainstorming solutions and creating prototypes. Work collaboratively with peers to experience how the design process builds student stamina, critical thinking and innovation.

Apply: Create a personalized plan to integrate design thinking into your existing curriculum. Gain practical tools, strategies and resources to turn your classroom into a dynamic makerspace where students can explore, create and solve problems in meaningful ways.

Speakers

Kara Sanders

Tuesday February 25, 2025 11:10am - 12:35pm CST
Salon 3 Marriott St. Louis Airport

Design

Audience Classroom Teachers, Specialist / Encore
Session Type Launch

11:40am CST

Integrating Design Thinking is Possible

Tuesday February 25, 2025 11:40am - 12:05pm CST

Salon 3

Learn: Discover how the five stages of design thinking—Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test—can transform learning experiences in the classroom. Gain insights into how this process fosters creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.

Engage: Participate in an interactive classroom example, where you'll work with fellow educators to develop innovative solutions to a real-world problem using the design thinking framework. Collaborate, share ideas and explore strategies to make this approach meaningful for your students.

Apply: Discover actionable strategies and inspiration to integrate design thinking into your teaching practice. Gain the confidence and tools to design engaging, student-centered learning experiences that empower and excite your learners.

Speakers

Kara Sanders

Tuesday February 25, 2025 11:40am - 12:05pm CST
Salon 3 Marriott St. Louis Airport

Design

Audience Specialist / Encore, Classroom Teachers
Session Type Spark

12:10pm CST

Launching Your Design Thinking or Makerspace

Tuesday February 25, 2025 12:10pm - 12:35pm CST

Salon 3

Learn: Explore the fundamentals of design thinking, including the five stages—Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test. Understand how this process promotes creativity, collaboration and problem-solving to address real-world challenges in the classroom.

Engage: Participate in interactive discussions and activities designed to generate practical ideas for integrating design thinking into your classroom. Share experiences and brainstorm solutions with fellow educators as you explore ways to guide students through innovative problem-solving.

Apply: Discover actionable strategies and resources to launch or enhance your design thinking or makerspace journey. Gain confidence to create dynamic, engaging learning experiences that inspire students to think like innovators.

Speakers

Kara Sanders

Tuesday February 25, 2025 12:10pm - 12:35pm CST
Salon 3 Marriott St. Louis Airport

Design

Audience Specialist / Encore, Classroom Teachers
Session Type Spark

12:10pm CST

Building Thinking Classrooms: Transforming Math Education Through Collaboration and Understanding

Tuesday February 25, 2025 12:10pm - 1:00pm CST

Salon C

Learn: Gain insights from experienced educators as they share their journey of implementing the Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) framework in math education. Panelists will discuss what initially inspired them to adopt BTC, the challenges they faced and the transformative impact it has had on their teaching and student learning. This session will explore key aspects of BTC, including the mindset shifts, classroom management strategies and relationship-building techniques that contribute to its success.

Engage: Throughout the session, participants will use the chat feature to ask questions, share reflections and exchange ideas with panelists and fellow attendees. A live Q&A segment will provide an opportunity to delve deeper into topics like overcoming initial hurdles, refining practices and fostering collaborative learning in math classrooms.

Apply: Gain practical insights and advice to start your own BTC journey or enhance your current practices. Whether you're a BTC novice or looking to refine your approach, you'll gain actionable strategies for creating a thinking-centered environment that engages students, builds problem-solving skills, and transforms your math instruction.

Speakers

Tim Levine

Becky VanSant

Olivia Strazewski

Tuesday February 25, 2025 12:10pm - 1:00pm CST
Salon C Marriott St. Louis Airport

Design

Audience All K-12 Educators, Math, Elementary
Session Type Ignite, Panel

12:10pm CST

Unlocking Student Engagement with Discovery Education

Tuesday February 25, 2025 12:10pm - 1:00pm CST

Salon 1

Learn: Discover how Discovery Education Experience simplifies lesson planning and enhances student engagement. Explore standards-aligned resources and tools for PreK-12 that support dynamic and interactive teaching.

Engage: Participate in a collaborative challenge to “Escape the Discovery Education Room” with your peers, solving clues while exploring innovative tools and strategies. This interactive activity showcases how Discovery Education can transform the learning experience in your classroom.

Apply: Gain actionable strategies and fresh ideas to integrate Discovery Education resources into your lessons, empowering you to captivate students and streamline planning. Prepare to implement these tools and elevate your teaching!

Speakers

Discovery

Tuesday February 25, 2025 12:10pm - 1:00pm CST
Salon 1 Marriott St. Louis Airport

Design Culture

Session Type Ignite

12:10pm CST

Video Lesson Teaching

Tuesday February 25, 2025 12:10pm - 1:00pm CST

‎ Video On Demand

The On Demand session linked below will cover:

Learn: Explore how to effectively use video to record and teach lesson demonstrations that can be uploaded to a dedicated YouTube channel. Discover how recorded lessons can capture students' attention through step-by-step modeling for projects, skill development or desired behaviors.

Engage: Utilize project materials, acquired skills and a cell phone camera to practice teaching and demonstrating a lesson that will be uploaded to your YouTube channel created for this purpose.

Apply: Gain skills to launch your own YouTube video lesson demonstration to support students who may struggle, provide resources for absent learners and maximize preparation time during lessons, especially when teaching multiple classes back-to-back.

Video Links:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Speakers

VIELIA M JEFFRIES-EVANS

Tuesday February 25, 2025 12:10pm - 1:00pm CST
‎ Video On Demand Marriott St. Louis Airport

Design Technology

Audience Specialist / Encore
Session Type Ignite
School / Company University City School District

2:30pm CST

Day in the Life of a Discovery Education Teacher

Tuesday February 25, 2025 2:30pm - 2:55pm CST

Salon 1

Learn: Explore how Discovery Education Experience can enhance every part of your school day, from sparking curiosity with immersive videos and virtual field trips to providing engaging, standards-aligned content for lesson planning.

Engage: Bring your laptop and dive into hands-on activities that demonstrate how to use Discovery Education for transitions, recess or downtime. Collaborate with fellow educators to uncover creative ways to integrate these tools seamlessly into your daily routines.

Apply: Gain strategies to captivate students and extend learning beyond the classroom by sharing resources with students and families. Whether you’re new or experienced with Discovery Education, you’ll gain practical tools to elevate your teaching and engage your students.

Speakers

Discovery

Tuesday February 25, 2025 2:30pm - 2:55pm CST
Salon 1 Marriott St. Louis Airport

Design Technology

Session Type Spark

3:30pm CST

#IYKYK: Supporting Students Who Already Know What You're Teaching

Tuesday February 25, 2025 3:30pm - 4:00pm CST

Salon 2

Learn: Explore the challenge of engaging students who have already mastered the content. Discover research-based strategies for repurposing materials and designing enrichment opportunities that promote deeper learning.

Engage: Participate in discussions and activities that focus on offering student choice, fostering autonomy and sustaining motivation for advanced learners. Share experiences and collaborate on practical solutions with fellow educators.

Apply: Gain concrete techniques to differentiate instruction, create meaningful extension activities and ensure all students remain challenged and engaged in your classroom.

Speakers

Sherri Kulpa

Director of Curriculum and Instruction, EducationPlus

Tuesday February 25, 2025 3:30pm - 4:00pm CST
Salon 2 Marriott St. Louis Airport

Design

3:30pm CST

Making Change Less Messy: Using the Change Matrix for Big and Small Shifts

Tuesday February 25, 2025 3:30pm - 4:00pm CST

Salon 4

Learn: Explore the Change Matrix as a simple yet powerful tool to help navigate transitions at any level. Understand how the Change Matrix can simplify both big and small shifts in schools while reducing stress and providing a smoother transition.

Engage: Participate in interactive discussions and activities that break down the Change Matrix into practical steps. Collaborate with peers to troubleshoot common challenges and brainstorm ways to make change feel more manageable.

Apply: Gain concrete strategies to implement the Change Matrix in your school or classroom. Whether you're launching a major project or making small instructional shifts, you’ll have the tools to navigate change with confidence and clarity.

Speakers

Erin Lawson

Education Plus

Erin serves EdPlus member districts by developing tailored learning opportunities and professional development programs. Erin has 20 years of education experience in a variety of roles including 6th-grade teacher, district technology coach and Director of Professional and Program... Read More →

Tuesday February 25, 2025 3:30pm - 4:00pm CST
Salon 4 Marriott St. Louis Airport

Design

Audience All K-12 Educators